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It was just after he signed for Liverpool from AC Milan for £16million in August 2014 that his agent Mino Raiola told him he was drinking in the last chance saloon.

“At the top level, yes,” Raiola said.

“It’s either make or break now. If it goes wrong? Mario is 24 years old.

“He no longer has the alibi of his age. Now it’s up to him. Another flop is inadvisable.”

Two years on and Balotelli finds himself in exactly the kind of situation Raiola feared.

His chance to re-establish himself at the top level was squandered. A dismal haul of four goals from 28 appearances for the Reds in 2014/15 was followed by Balotelli being off-loaded to Milan on a season long-loan where he netted just three goals in 23 outings.

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Jurgen Klopp has left him in doubt that he needs to move on - omitting him from the tour of America and leaving him to train with Liverpool Under-23s.

While the first-team squad were preparing to face Burton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Balotelli was at a sun-kissed Melwood doing shuttle runs on his own and posting the footage on Instagram.

“He’s not at the stage of his career where he should be battling with four or five other players for one or two positions,” Klopp said last month.

“I have spoken clearly to the player about that. There will be a club around who would be happy to have a new Mario Balotelli if you like.”

Liverpool have long since given up hope of getting their money back on Balotelli, who has a year remaining on his £90,000 per week deal.

So while he runs back and to at Melwood, they simply want him off the wage bill. The worse case scenario is that they have to accept a loan where they continue to pay a hefty chunk of his wages or simply pay him off.

What’s certain is that Balotelli won’t be a Liverpool player come September 1.